Gaming provides easy and accessible entertainment to people of all ages and varying tastes. Whether you’re a cosy gamer who enjoys low-stakes games after a busy day at work or a horror fan who stays up far too late playing games that are certain to chase away any chance of a good night’s rest, you have likely wondered about how much time you spend on these games, and whether playing them is bad for you.
The good news is that the recommended hours we should spend gaming per day is likely larger than you think, with a recent study suggesting that gaming time shouldn’t regularly exceed more than three hours a day. But what are the benefits of gaming the right amount, what are the drawbacks of gaming too much, and how shall we best spend our precious gaming time?
Read on for some ideas!
The Three-Hour Rule
A recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Human Behavior has discovered that we shouldn’t spend more than three hours a day playing games. With this in mind, many of us might want to consider ways we can make the most of the allocated time we have for gaming. The kinds of games that often take up most of our time are multiplayer first-person shooter games like Call of Duty. The excitement of these games, combined with the fact that we can play them with both strangers and friends, means that time has an eerie way of disappearing from many of us when we play.
Instead of reaching for these games, why not try more story-based role-playing games (RPGs) that often have observable goals and a constant sense of progress that means you can come back for a small amount of time daily and fully immerse yourself in the game at a slower pace? Alternatively, playing online casinos is an excellent way to reduce your overall gaming time. These games offer short yet exciting opportunities for fun in the form of slots, roulette, and countless other options. Additionally, many offer a casino welcome bonus that greatly reduces the amount of money you’d have to part with to wager, making casinos an often much cheaper option than video games themselves.
Why Should We Limit Our Gaming Time?
Like many things, gaming is something that should be enjoyed in moderation. There have been various studies that have explored the negative impacts of over-useing video games on both our physical and mental health. Playing these games too frequently and for too long can negatively affect our sleep, as well as lead us to neglect other parts of our lives, such as engaging with our other hobbies or socialising.
Additionally, overuse of video games, a form of entertainment that doesn’t require us to move our bodies, unless we are playing virtual reality or movement based games, can lead to physical problems from obesity and heart problems to something as simple as neck or back pain.
The Benefits of Gaming
Many of us likely already know the drawbacks that come with excessive use of games, but it isn’t all doom and gloom. If played in moderation, games can have many more positive effects than negative ones. Regular playing of video games has been proven to aid concentration, improve problem-solving skills, and even contribute to the emotional intelligence and empathy of individuals.
Not only that, but these games can also do wonders for our mental health, give us an outlet to socialise with others, and generally make us happier and healthier people.
In general, it is all about finding the balance, and noticing if we are spending too much time in front of a screen. Trying to limit your gaming to three hours a day, and also trying out different games, are both great ways to make the most out of gaming, and reap as many benefits as possible.
